For Whisky Lovers + Newbies Alike…..Oh, And There’s Chocolate!

Warm up with whisky this winter at Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at Berida Hotel. 

Not only is it a super stylish spot to sip your favourite dram by the fire [+ they serve more than just whisky] but you can take your whisky lovin’ to a new level by booking the Macallan Whisky Tasting Experience at Aspinalls. 

We did it and loved it. 

Now, here’s the thing….it’s not just for admirers of this traditional spirit, it’s for newbies too [that’s me!]. 

I’ve never really partaken in any sort of dark spirit after an unfortunate incident with OP rum 20+ years ago but this experience changed things up for me. 

Here’s what we did and what we learnt!

We were greeted by Nick, the wonderful Beverage Manager at Berida Hotel who took us into the gorgeous Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge. 

Now, they opened up especially for us which was awesome so we were there late on a Friday afternoon, the late afternoon sun was streaming through the sheers on the windows kissing the glass tables, metallic trims and mirror giving the space quite the ethereal feel! 

What a spot for a whisky tasting. 

Nick started prepping the whisky which comes on a custom designed Macallan tray.

So, what’s the Macallan connection? 

Probably one of the most well known whisky houses and brands globally, the Macallan Whisky Tasting Experience is a structured tasting which focuses on the same whisky but at different ages. 

So, Nick lined up three bottles of Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky Double Cask Range aged 12 years, 15 years and 18 years, and started pouring.

One of the first things you notice – apart from the custom designed tray [+ the box of chocolates I spied behind the bar] is the difference in colour between the differently aged whiskies – going from light and younger to darker and mature. 

The type of barrels used to mature the whisky is a huge part of the final flavour profile. 

The Macallan Double Cask Range is actually matured in a combination of American and European Sherry oak barrels. 

And obviously, the longer the whisky is in the barrel, the more depth of flavour and colour is created. 

So, that’s why the 12 year old whisky was a much lighter colour and the 18 year old whisky was a deep, rich caramel.

So the conversation then went to how long can a whisky be in a barrel and we chatted about the most expensive whiskies in the world and turns out, Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge has quite the showstopper themselves! 

Nick brought out the M, 2020 Release and wow, was it sexy! 

Well, the bottle was….we didn’t drink any because it’s $880 a glass and well….school fees. 

Presented in a beautiful crystal decanter, it’s super special and rare due to it being aged in only ten, irreplaceable casks. 

One for the true whisky lover, for sure….with a sizable bank account.

Okay, back to the tasting and this is when the chocolates came out – hooray! 

These delightful bit sized choccies are made by La Rose Noire, an iconic and global chocolatier company that has been creating amazing high-end chocolates since 1991. 

And here’s the thing we loved. Each chocolate has a different flavour to match each of the whiskies and draw out specific flavours. 

So, we tasted each of the whiskies before having the choccies and chatted about vanilla coming through, ginger after taste, berries on the palate….that bit is always fun trying to match what you taste with what Nick says! 

My favourite was actually the 18 year old Macallan without the chocolates…remember that. 

So, these were the different flavours to match the different whiskies. 

12 year old whiskey :: hazelnut chocolate

15 year old whiskey :: caramel chocolate

18 year old whiskey :: coffee chocolate

You pop the choccie goodness in your mouth, chew [if you’re fancy] and once you’ve swallowed the chocolate, take a sip of the corresponding whisky and wow – a totally different flavour experience happened. 

The 12 year old became my favourite. It really made my mouth come alive, it was rich and sweet, almost syrupy. 

The 15 year old ended up being quite bitter and acrid [that was my take on it – my husband really liked that whisky with the chocolate] and the 18 year old whisky ended up with a totally different flavour profile for me. 

I don’t drink coffee [you do NOT want to see THIS on coffee] and the coffee chocolate really brought out all the rich coffee flavours in the whisky which was too overpowering for my tea-tannined taste buds. 

It was really interesting to see how all three of us got totally different flavours based on our own palates. 

So, it was an awesome way to spend a late Friday afternoon and something that can be done with couples – what a different date night experience, groups of friends [could be a cool bucks night activity to kick off with] and like we said before, for experienced whisky drinkers and newbies alike. 

It costs $85 per person and includes the whisky, the choccies and of course the expert tutelage of Nick or one of his fab team at Berida Hotel. 

And then of course, you could hang around afterwards and work your way through the amazing whisky menu at Aspinalls Bar & Lounge [it’s pretty hard to leave that place after you’ve sunk into one of their lush lounges], or try some of their whisky cocktail concoctions which is actually an excellent way for a non-whisky drinker to be introduced to whisky. 

Oh, and book into Bistro Sociale for dinner too! It’s all under the one roof at Berida Hotel – may as well stay overnight while you’re there! 

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